Funeral home software for New Zealand, from the first call to the hura kōhatu
Whether the farewell is a tangihanga on the marae or a celebrant-led service, Kindred keeps it on a single case your team can follow, through registration with BDM and on to the unveiling, often about a year later.
Now welcoming funeral homes in New Zealand
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Bringing the person into careSometimes after a call from the hospice, or from the hospital or the family at home
Where it lives in Kindred: First callOpen the case from the call itself, with the whānau or family contacts entered a single time. -
Certifying the cause of deathThe HP4720 from a doctor or nurse practitioner, or a coroner's authorisation
Where it lives in Kindred: Case documentsFile the certificate or the coroner's authorisation with the case, because no burial or cremation can go ahead without it. -
The tangihangaA whānau-led farewell, traditionally on the marae over about three days
Where it lives in Kindred: Events and whānau wishesRecord the marae, the days and the arrangements the whānau has asked for, and who from your team is supporting them. -
The funeral serviceOften celebrant-led, with family and friends speaking, then the committal and shared food
Where it lives in Kindred: Celebrant and venueThe celebrant or minister, the venue and the order of the day are attached to each event.
Kindred's screens keep their own names. These are your steps, matched to where they're handled.
The rest of the work, matched the same way
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The medical refereeA cremation also needs a medical referee's permission under the Cremation Regulations
Where it lives in Kindred: Cremation checklistA checklist built for cremations keeps the referee's permission in view until it is granted. -
The death noticeTelling the community of the death and when and where the farewell will be
Where it lives in Kindred: Notices on your websiteWrite the notice once from the case and post it on your own website, updating it there if plans move. -
The BDM28Notification of Death for Registration, due within three working days of the burial or cremation
Where it lives in Kindred: Registration checklistEach case shows whether its BDM28 has gone in. Sending it to BDM still happens the way you do it today. -
The hura kōhatuThe headstone unveiling, often about a year later, as the whānau decide
Where it lives in Kindred: Follow-up tasksA follow-up task, months after the funeral, prompts your team to reconnect with the whānau.
How funeral homes work in New Zealand
Two ways to farewell
In a tangihanga the tūpāpaku is welcomed onto the marae with a pōwhiri and lies with the whānau, traditionally in the wharenui, while visitors come to address the deceased in speech and song before burial at an urupā. Tangihanga are now also held at homes and funeral homes. Tikanga differ by iwi, hapū, whānau and marae, so there is no single script, and many funeral directors work in a supporting role guided by the whānau.
Outside the marae, some families feel three days after the death is right, though the law sets no time, and a service five to seven days after is not uncommon when relatives are travelling from overseas. Cremation is the more common choice.
Certificates before, registration after
No burial or cremation can go ahead until a doctor or nurse practitioner has certified the cause of death, or a coroner has authorised release. A cremation also needs a medical referee's permission. After the burial or cremation, the funeral director usually registers the death with Births, Deaths and Marriages on the BDM28, attaching the certificate. Registering is free; the death certificate carries a fee.
Funeral directors register with their local council under the Health (Burial) Regulations 1946, renewed and inspected each year.
Pre-paid funerals, grants and the profession
Pre-paid funerals are arranged through a funeral home with the money held in trust. The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand runs The Funeral Trust, and trustee companies and some law firms offer funeral trusts too. When a family is in hardship, a Work and Income Funeral Grant can help with reasonable costs, kai for a tangihanga among them.
Membership of FDANZ, whose members hold a recognised funeral-directing qualification, is voluntary. New Zealand Independent Funeral Homes and the New Zealand Embalmers Association are among the other bodies.
Shaped around your funeral home
No two funeral homes run the same way, and Kindred isn't asking you to change yours. It is configured around how you already work.
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Your workflow and checklists
Case steps and checklists are set up to match your process, not a one-size template.
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Your forms and documents
The paperwork you use is built as forms and document templates that fill from the case, so details are entered once.
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Your services and prices
Your own services, packages and price list, the way you present them to families.
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Each location, its own way
One funeral home or several: tailor each location while keeping the whole business consistent.
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Your name on everything families see
The family portal and your website carry your funeral home's brand, not ours.
Ready today, wherever you are
- Unlimited users and locationsYour whole team signs in. Pricing follows your case volume, not your headcount.
- English or Spanish, per personEach staff member chooses the language of Kindred, and each family can receive the portal in English or Spanish.
- In the cloud, backed upUse it from any device with encrypted data and automated backups. No servers at the funeral home.
- Families sign from homeSend contracts and authorisations for electronic signature.
- Your website and noticesKindred can design and host your website, or publish notices to the one you already have.
What we'll work out together
Kindred accounts run in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom today. For funeral homes in New Zealand, local currency, tax and the paperwork you file are part of the setup conversation, and we'll tell you plainly what's ready and what isn't.
Questions from funeral homes in New Zealand
Is Kindred available in New Zealand?
Yes. Kindred now welcomes funeral homes across New Zealand. Everything runs in the cloud, from a phone, tablet or computer, with no installation. We begin by listening to how your team and your families work.
How do New Zealand dollars, GST and BDM paperwork fit in?
Kindred accounts run in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom at present. Pricing in New Zealand dollars, GST and the paperwork you complete are worked through as we set up your account, and we will be honest about which parts are ready and which are not.
Does Kindred send the BDM28 to Births, Deaths and Marriages?
No. Kindred does not connect to BDM or Health NZ. It can hold the details the BDM28 asks for, in custom fields where needed, and shows which cases are still waiting to be registered, while lodging stays with you.
Can Kindred support the way we work with whānau at a tangihanga?
Kindred records the events, places and wishes the whānau share with you; it does not set out tikanga, which belongs to the whānau and the marae. The family portal is available in English or Spanish; it is not offered in te reo Māori.
Does Kindred apply for the Funeral Grant or manage funeral trusts?
No. Funeral Grant applications go to Work and Income, and pre-paid money stays with the trust that holds it. Kindred can note either on the case so nothing is missed.
How is information about our families kept safe?
Data is encrypted, each person sees only what their role allows, and backups run automatically. Where your account's data would be held is something we cover in the setup conversation.
Tell us how your funeral home works
A person from the Kindred team will reply, usually within one working day, with no obligation.
Please take a moment to complete the form.